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Saturday, 30 March 2019

Review: Sleep, My Bunny

Sleep, My Bunny is the latest creation of bestselling author and illustrator Rosemary Wells.

It features her trademark bunny characters, a child and its parents, as the sun sets and they undertake their evening routine.

First there's dinner, then a little time for playing.

Bath time and story time are next. Followed by a gentle song or lullaby.

Finally, it's bed time, when all wish to 'Let nothing be scary and nothing be loud' and the young bunny goes to sleep.

In Sleep, My Bunny, Rosemary Wells' illustrations are of the bunnies' routine, surrrounded by landscape and night skies that are visually inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. Most particularly, his artwork The Starry Night.

On the endpapers, framing the text, and through the windows throughout the story, the evening sky is shown in shades of colour and style that are a definite homage to Van Gogh's work.

The illustrations all depict recognisable activities for young children, and complementing them is the text, which is simple and lyrical. It's an excellent example of short but sweet, with just six sentences, which convey a strong sense of place and time.

Sleep, My Bunny is a perfect bed time book for young children.

Title: Sleep, My Bunny
Author/illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Walker Books, $24.99
Publication Date: March 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9781406382587
For ages: 2+ 
Type: Picture book